The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device having independent bonus reels.
Gaming devices provide enjoyment and excitement to players, in part, because they may ultimately lead to monetary awards for the players. Gaming devices also provide enjoyment and excitement to the players because they are fun to play. Bonus games, in particular, provide gaming device manufacturers with the opportunity to add enjoyment and excitement to that which is already expected from a base game of the gaming device. Bonus games provide extra awards to the player and enable the player to play a game that is different than the base game.
Known gaming devices having bonus games employ a triggering event that occurs during play of the base game operation of the gaming device. The triggering event temporarily stalls or halts the base game play and enables a player to enter a second, different game, which is the bonus game. The player plays the bonus game, likely receives an award, and returns to the base game. In most instances, the bonus game is relatively short in relation to the time that the player spends repeatedly playing the base game. The player may play the bonus game several times while playing the base game of the gaming device.
Different types of bonus games are described in European Patent Application No's EP 0874337A1, EP 0945837A2 and EP 0984409A2, each of which are assigned to WMS Gaming, Inc. These games are generally versions of a “Do Until” type bonus game.
Patent Application No. EP 0874337A1 discloses a gaming device having a bonus game where the player spins a plurality of reels including several symbols. In the bonus game, if the player obtains a winning symbol combination on the reels, the player receives an award and spins again. The probability for obtaining a winning symbol combination on the reels is greater than fifty percent. Therefore, a player will likely have multiple opportunities to spin the reels in the bonus game and receive several awards. If the player does not obtain a winning symbol combination, the bonus game ends and the player receives the total accumulated award for the game. Thus, the player spins the reels in the bonus game until the player does not obtain a winning combination.
Patent Application No. EP 0984409A2 discloses a gaming device wherein the game enables the player to spin a plurality of reels having various symbols attempting to obtain awards. In this bonus game, the player starts the bonus game with a limited number of spins. Then, the player spins the reels until there are no spins remaining. The player receives an award after each spin. The final award in the bonus game is the total of all of the accumulated awards by the player in the game.
Patent Application No. EP 09454837A2 discloses a gaming device wherein the game presents the player with a plurality of selections in the bonus game. The selections include masked or hidden awards and end bonus outcomes or terminators. The player receives an award for each selection picked by a player that is not a terminator. The player continues to pick selections until the player selects a terminator. The terminator ends the bonus game and the player receives the total of all the awards they obtained during the game.
The above gaming machines employ a “Do-Until” style bonus game where a player spins reels or picks from a player selectable grid or board until the player obtains a terminator or runs out of picks. In these games, players can obtain multiple awards. While such bonus games offer advantages in player appeal and excitement, there is a continuing need to develop new types of bonus games that allow players to accumulate larger awards and increase the level of player excitement and enjoyment.